About The Author

Michael A. Hill is an accomplished trial lawyer focusing on representing individuals who have suffered life changing injuries. Hire Michael

Mt. Vernon Family Sues The Laurels at Mt. Vernon for Korean War Veteran’s Death

October 18, 2018

Neglecting a resident until they suffer from bedsores is abuse. Jack Huls’ family is suing The Laurels at Mt. Vernon for neglecting his Mr. Huls until he suffered from infected bedsores. On Tuesday, February 23, 2017 Mr. Huls passed away as a result of these infections.

A complaint has been filed against the Laurels at Mt. Vernon for the neglect of a resident who died from infected bedsores.

According to the lawsuit, on December 8, 2016 Mr. Huls was brought to the Laurels at Mt. Vernon for short term rehabilitation for a leg injury he had suffered. After two days, Mr. Huls became unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital. He later returned to The Laurels and it was reported that he had stage II pressure sores (bedsores).

The Laurels staff repeatedly assured the family of Mr. Huls that the sores had healed, even though they had not. Mr. Huls family also had made complaints that he was malnourished, he was poorly taken care of– his family finding him with severe, watery diarrhea on his clothing, complaining of stomach cramps, confusion, and skin breakdown.

These are all signs of infections. The family presented their concerns to the administration at The Laurels and they were reassured that he was on the way to recovery. On February 19th, he was admitted to Knox Community Hospital for sepsis, organ failure, and Clostridium Difficile (aka “C. Diff”). He passed away on February 23rd and the cause of death was C. Diff and sepsis.

Bedsores and Understaffing

Nursing homes are required to provide adequate staff to provide the needed care of their residents. As a result,”Nursing homes like The Laurels of Mt. Vernon and Whispering Hills Care Center are required to evaluate every resident using the Minimum Data Set questionnaire shortly after the time of admission, every 90 days thereafter, when a resident has a significant improvement or decline in health (physical, mental, or psychosocial), and upon discharge.”

The lawsuit alleges that:

Defendants engaged in a systemic practice to understaff The Laurels of Mt. Vernon and Whispering Hills Care Center nursing home facilities to maximize profits at the expense of its residents’ care.

This lack of sufficient staff directly resulted in Jack Huls not receiving basic and necessary services to prevent, among other things, neglect leading to malnutrition, dehydration, bed / pressure sores, and infection that caused his death.

Systemic Understaffing

Nursing homes are typically owned by large corporations and are motivated, unfortunately not by giving proper care to residents, but rather by profits. The Laurels at Mt. Vernon are no different. They engage in false advertising to lure families of potential residents in

According to the lawsuit:

In an effort to persuade the families of patients requiring rehabilitation to become customers, Defendants make promises to the families of such potential residents that they will provide a level of care that they know they are incapable of providing.The intent and outcome of this misleading practice is to cause residents, their families, and external care providers to believe the nursing facility is much better staffed than it is.

The intent and outcome of this misleading practice is to drastically limit the budget and overhead needed to run a safe facility in order to maximize profits and syphon resources at the expense of patient safety. Defendants failed to ensure, through their operational, budgetary, consultation and managerial decisions and actions, that The Laurels of Mt. Vernon and Whispering Hills Care Center was sufficiently staffed to meet the individual needs of Jack Huls.

What’s the Purpose of a Nursing Home Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

The family has instituted suit against The Laurels at Mt. Vernon and Laurel Healthcare Company, the parent company, for wrongful death. A wrongful death lawsuit in Ohio is brought on behalf of the surviving family members. The family hopes that this lawsuit will bring awareness to mistreatment at nursing homes and will prevent future injuries to nursing homes residents.

Who is Laurel Healthcare Company?

According to its website, Communcare owns, runs, and manages rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities throughout Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, and Indiana,. A complete list of all Laurel Healthcare facilities is at the bottom of this article.

Do you have questions about a possible abuse, neglect, stroke, or heart attack case? Contact us now using this confidential form. Or leave a comment below--but remember the comments are public, not confidential.

Our No Fear Guarantee

Guess what? That’s true for just about any plaintiff’s lawyer. It’s what a “contingency fee” means. It doesn’t mean they’ll work hard. Or get a good result for you. It doesn’t mean much at all.

What we promise you is a NO FEAR guarantee.

What does that mean? For 99% of our clients, a medical injury caused by negligence is new. The medical malpractice lawsuit process is new. Depositions, discovery, trial . . . everything is new.

New can be scary. Especially when it involves having to testify under oath.

We’ve developed systems that let you address and move past the fear. Through education and information about the process. Role-playing and other preparation techniques. We empower you to be fearless. Because this process is hard enough.

What Clients Say About Us

Michael Hill is an anomaly. When most people think of a lawyer they are just a piece of a necessary situation to get an outcome they desire. Some lawyers are personable and easy to work with, but Michael Hill made the process of one of the biggest hardships I’ve experienced the best it could have been. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable in this field of practice he displays an immense amount of patience in making sure you are understanding each piece of the puzzle every step of the way. He is successful in the court room, strong in depositions, and always gives 150%. He is the best you’ll find. Having a stranger immerse themselves in your life in times of hardship is uncomfortable, but Michael made me and my family feel like we’ve known him for years. He will be a forever friend of mine and I know that every day he’s having an incredible impact on those around him and his clients.

Amy Mirlisena

Will and the group at Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers are very personable and knowledgeable. They are easy to talk to and make you feel comfortable.

Karen Thomas

You should call Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers because they are reliable and understanding of their different clients needs and situations. Overall trustworthy.

Sloan Tomblin

Michael and Will are forever part of our lives and our Family. I am forever grateful to both of them, and I am honored to call them my friends.

Marilyn MazzoneCleveland, Ohio Nursing Home Client

Michael spent hours getting to know all the details of my aunt's life and going through pictures with us. It was clear that Michael was an honest and good person who genuinely cared about my family. These are just the things we saw him do. I know that he was working around the clock on things we didn't see.

Mark J.Ohio Wrongful Death Client

Great lawyers and great people! I worked with Michael Hill on a wrongful death case he handled for my family, and we could not have been more satisfied.

Mark JungOhio Wrongful Death Client

Every step of the way, you guys have been wonderful through everything. It seems like you two are my brothers now. That’s how much confidence we had in both of you.

Karen CrawfordOhio Nursing Home Client

We came to Michael Hill with a very complicated legal issue after a loved one died. He navigated my family through the process of recovery and helped us move on with our lives. I highly recommend Michael Hill and his law firm, Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers.

Stay Connected with Eadie Hill

Do not use this website outside the United States. See our privacy policy here.Each case is unique and the law frequently changes, so do not rely on any of the information that you read on this website without first talking to one of our lawyers first.If you contact Eadie Hill, but do not hear from a lawyer, we are not your attorneys. If we talk, but we do not accept your case and enter a representation agreement with you, we are not your attorneys.We try to respond to all inquiries. Due to the nature of electronic communication, and volume of inquiries we receive, we might miss yours. We recommend calling to discuss your potential claim. In no event should you wait to take action on your case simply because you have contacted us.We may refer your case to another attorney if we determine they would be better able to handle your case.We handle cases throughout Ohio. You can see our locations here

Get the Definitive Guide . . . FREE

Get the definitive guide on Nursing Home and Assisted Living Claims — a $14.99 value — yours free, without commitment.